Wash Away
by Ellie Marsy
Summary: After the Cullens return to Forks, Jasper and Rosalie try to forget what happened at Volterra and realize something they have in common with regards to Bella. Set Post-New Moon.


A/N: Another Jasper and Rosalie fic. I really enjoy writing about their relationship. Hope you enjoy!

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Jasper inhaled the sweet scent of Forks pinewood. He didn't realize how much he missed it, nor did he think that he actually would. Studying at Cornell was certainly eventful and peaceful for him in a way that Forks High School never would be, but he was sure he wasn't alone in thinking that Forks was the closest to home he felt in a long while. He was actually happy, and relished the feeling after the pain the Cullens went through over the past few days. Both Edward and Bella were fine and together, but more importantly for him, Alice was safe. She was spending the day with Bella, strengthening the bond that they already had. Everybody was fine, and things almost seemed the same as they had been before they left Forks. He secretly wondered at Rosalie, who was on the other side of the living room, looking through a box which she hadn't unpacked yet. She had gone through her share of guilt and pain, but as of the moment, she was as content as he.

He turned to look back out the window when his view was obscured by the form of Edward, who had appeared silently out of nowhere and was crouched in front of him on the window sill. Jasper and Edward stared at each other.

_What?_

Edward wordlessly jumped off of the sill and fished a set of keys from his pocket. He held it up to Jasper's face.

"You're not serious?" he grabbed the keys from his brother and fingered them greedily.

Edward shrugged. "She said no. I think the motorcycle thing was something kept between her and Jacob."

"Oh... I am so sorry man," Jasper shook his head pitifully while his eyes lingered on the keys.

He laughed and placed an arm on Jasper's shoulder. "Go ahead, it's in the garage."

"Yes!"

"Is that for the Ducati?" Rosalie asked. She walked over to her brothers. "Why does Jasper get it?" Her love for automobiles gave her tone a slightly annoyed edge, though her mood was still light.

Edward's smile suddenly faded and his tone turned flat. "He was interested in it first."

Rosalie looked hurt for a second before composing herself. Jasper knew she was trying her best to reconcile with Edward. "But, don't we get a vote or something?"

"Tell you what, Rose. You decide and then you get back to me on that," he went back through the window and was out of sight.

Jasper looked at Rosalie, who sighed deeply. Her emotions were a mix of sadness and a deep regret. Before he could take a step toward her, she left through the back door leaving Jasper alone in the living room.

Jasper found her half an hour later huddled in the hollow of a tree by a cliff that overlooked the Forks landscape. It was a beautiful sight. He leaned against the tree she sat in and they both stared at the scenery in silence. He noticed that she was twirling a lock of her wavy hair absentmindedly. They both had the habit of fumbling with their hair when something preoccupied their thoughts. Jasper often joked that it was their blond and curly hair that made them twins.

"I never thought I'd miss Forks so much," Rosalie finally spoke.

Jasper sat down next to her. "Me neither."

They sat in silence for a while as a light breeze blew the smell of the forest toward them.

"Edward's still mad at me."

"Just give him some time. You know Edward, he-"

"Is he still mad at me?" Rosalie faced him for the first time. Jasper looked at the desperation in her eyes and nodded. He could lie to Rosalie about a lot of things, but for some reason, she always knew when he lied about other peoples' feelings.

"Of course he is... I would be mad, too."

"He'll get over it."

"I nearly got him killed, and for nothing! If it weren't for Alice and Bella, he would have gone through with it. And you have me to blame for Aro meeting Alice."

Jasper pondered for a while on what she said. It was true that if Rosalie hadn't told Edward about Bella jumping off the cliff, there would never have been any need to go to Volterra. His anger toward Edward for his actions had ebbed away slightly after they returned to Forks. Yet for a reason he couldn't quite place; Jasper found that he wasn't angry at all with Rosalie.

"None of that would have happened if I never attacked Bella. All puns aside, I know how you feel."

She chuckled darkly. "Prim and proper Rosalie Hale always has to get her way, even at the expense of family. I just hope he knows that I really am sorry."

"Out of curiosity, why did you tell Edward about Bella?"

"I guess... part of me actually thought that he'd just let her go. Maybe then we'd get back to the way things were before she came into our lives... God, I wonder what you must think of me right now."

Rosalie drew her knees up to her chest and placed her chin on top of them. She wasn't feeling her usually mixture of sadness and anger; she was only feeling a deep sense of regret. It wasn't like her to feel this way. Jasper wasn't angry at her or pitied her, he understood her perfectly.

"Alice already loves Bella as a sister. So does Emmett, for that matter. And Bella's... she's a wonderful girl, really. It's great that she makes Edward happy. I know how you feel Rose, because I know that you and I both wish that things were... different... easier."

Rosalie let out a trembling sigh. When the Cullens first grew to accept Bella, it was only him and Rosalie who shared their own reservations about her. Being around humans in a school was hard enough, but to deal with one in his own home reminded Jasper that part of him would always be the bloodthirsty animal of Maria's army. And every time she looked at Bella, Jasper felt Rosalie's pain as she saw the life that she would always desire, yet never get to have. She knew that one day Bella might grow old with her husband and have children; something Rosalie would never be able to do.

Jasper turned his attention back to the Forks cliffs and trees. He didn't want to feel any grief or regret. He wanted to feel happy for a change, and he was going to make sure that his family felt the same way. He sent a small feeling of hope toward her; hope that someday Edward would forgive her and that in time things would be alright. Jasper didn't want to manipulate her emotions completely because he knew that as long as he gave her a start, she was strong enough to continue. He didn't need to talk to her and tell her everything would be alright, because he knew that she would understand. Her body relaxed slightly, and a hint of a smile crossed her face as she realized what he had done. Testing her mood, he nudged her lightly on the shoulder. She returned it more forcefully and he held the sides of the tree to stop from colliding into it. Her laughter made him laugh as well.

"Tell you what, Rose. I'll tell Edward that I'll get the Ducati... but secretly, it'll be mine and yours."

She snapped her head toward him with an incredulous look. "What?"

"It'll be the... secret Hale Ducati," he laughed while his fingers formed imaginary quotation marks in the air.

Rosalie smiled for a split second before her face fell again. "It won't be so secret when Edward hears about it from our thoughts."

"It doesn't matter."

They looked at each other, her asking quietly if he was sure and him telling her that he was. A smile formed on her face. "We have to set some ground rules."

"I'm listening."

"I get it during shopping trips to Port Angeles."

"Alright, but for anything else in between I get to ride it because it's still supposed to appear to be mine."

"Okay... can Emmett-"

"Absolutely not."

"Fair enough," she laughed. "It'll be in really good care in my possession."

"In that case... can I have your BMW?"

Her eyes widened. "NO!"

She pushed him against the tree trunk and he laughed, teasing her. For that moment, as another breeze blew past them, their fears and regrets went away with it.


End file.
